7 April, 2025

New Documentary "Sheila Graber: Words & Pictures" Celebrates 50 Year Career of South Shields Animator

In a career spanning 50 years (and still counting!) Sheila Graber, from South Shields, Tyne and Wear, has animated everything from Kipling's "Just So Stories", the characters in Paddington Bear, the human body, to the history of Sunderland and "Larn Yersel Geordie". Now Sheila herself is the star of the show in "Sheila Graber: Words & Pictures" an animated documentary that uses Sheila's self-portraits and narration to chart her journey from a teacher, animating for fun from her dining table, to an award winning filmmaker with work seen all over the world.

her dining table, to an award winning filmmaker with work seen all over the world.

The 20 minute film which is now available on YouTube was produced by award winning Leeds filmmaker Jeremy Sladdin. Sheila says she hopes "it will encourage people to have a go" at animation themselves, something director Sladdin echoes: "I first met Sheila when I was a student and she was a big inspiration for me getting into animation. So through this film I wanted to celebrate Sheila's amazing career, and both thank her for inspiring me and share that same inspiration with the next generation of animators."

Sheila Graber's self portraits come to life in a new documentary about her career. Credit: Jeremy Sladdin

"Sheila Graber: Words & Pictures" is available now on the Sladdinc Media channel (@sladdinc) through YouTube.